Rapid-entry shoe

Abstract

A rapid-entry shoe allows the shoe to be rapidly entered and readied for wearing by the user. The shoe may be any of a wide variety of shoe types, including shoes of a wide variety of styles and functions. The rapid entry features of the shoes utilize various movable elements that are attached to a sole portion or other portion of the shoe and allow movement of a portion of the shoe under pressure to allow rapid entry of the user's foot into the shoe. The moveable elements may include flexible elements, elements having constructed to have a memory of a native position, magnetic elements, and/or elastic elements.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:
 a sole support having an upper surface configured to support a user's foot; 
 an upper coupled to the sole support, the upper forming a closed-type shoe, and the upper defining an opening adapted to receive entry of the user's foot; and 
 a rear portion of the upper configured to secure a heel of the user's foot; 
 wherein the rear portion comprises a heel loop, the heel loop configured to extend around the heel of the user's foot and comprising a first spring and a second spring; 
 wherein each of the first spring and the second spring is dispersed around a periphery of the sole support; 
 wherein the heel loop is configured to have a native position in which the heel loop is configured to extend around the heel of the user's foot and hold the rear portion in a closed position securing the heel of the user's foot; 
 wherein ends of the heel loop extend from the first spring and the second spring rearward and below the upper surface of the sole support and terminate below the upper surface of the sole support; 
 wherein the heel loop is configured to be deformed by a downward opening force to expand the opening to permit rapid entry of the user's foot; and 
 wherein the heel loop is prevented by the upper from closing beyond the native position, but is stressed in the native position to increase the force with which the heel loop closes to the native position. 
 
     
     
       2. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first spring and the second spring is dispersed at or below the upper surface of the sole support. 
     
     
       3. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises laces configured to adjust the tightness of a fit and wherein the heel loop is configured to permit rapid entry of the user's foot into the rapid-entry shoe without adjusting the laces. 
     
     
       4. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the upper comprises a slit having a piece of flexible material, wherein the slit opens to permit rapid entry of the user's foot into the rapid-entry shoe. 
     
     
       5. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 1 , wherein ends of the heel loop extend rearward but do not extend to a rearmost periphery of the rear portion of the upper. 
     
     
       6. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:
 a sole having an upper surface configured to support a user's foot; 
 an upper attached to the sole and configured to surround and secure the user's foot on the sole; 
 the upper forming a closed-type shoe; 
 a rear portion configured to secure the user's foot in the shoe on the upper surface of the sole; and 
 a deformable element operatively attached to the sole and the rear portion, the deformable element comprising a first spring and a second spring; 
 wherein the deformable element is configured to have a native position in which the deformable element is configured to extend around the heel of the user's foot and hold the rear portion of the shoe in a closed position securing the user's foot in the shoe; 
 wherein the deformable element extends from the first spring and the second spring rearward and below the upper surface of the sole support; 
 wherein the deformable element may be deformed by a downward opening force to open the shoe to permit rapid entry of the user's foot into the shoe; and 
 wherein the deformable element is prevented by the upper from closing beyond the native position, but is stressed in the native position to increase the force with which the deformable element closes to the native position. 
 
     
     
       7. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the upper comprises laces configured to adjust the tightness of a fit and wherein the deformable element is configured to permit rapid entry of the user's foot into the rapid-entry shoe without adjusting the laces. 
     
     
       8. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 7 , wherein the upper comprises a slit having a piece of flexible material, wherein the slit opens to permit rapid entry of the user's foot into the rapid-entry shoe. 
     
     
       9. The rapid-entry shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the deformable element extends rearward below the upper surface of the sole support but does not extend to a rearmost periphery of the rear portion.